1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power demand/supply management server and a power demand/supply management system.
2. Description of the Related Arts
The most important concern when managing and controlling a power system is that the availability becomes poor. In this case, an action of temporarily suppressing the power consumption of consumers is taken in some cases.
For example, a utility company in California, U.S.A, provides a program that is so-called a “demand response” to their consumers. Such a program has various types, and for example, a program called a Critical Peak Pricing (CPP) functions as follows.
That is, participants to this program sign on with the utility company beforehand. The participants take application of a preferential rate having the electricity unit meter-charge set inexpensive. Everyday, the utility company decides whether or not to set the next day as a CPP event day, and when setting the next day as the CPP event day, notifies the participants of information that the next day will be the CPP day a day ahead.
Next, the unit meter-charge of the peak hours (12:00 to 18:00) at the CPP event day is set expensive (e.g., five times as much as a normal day). In order to avoid increasing of the electricity charge during the peak hours at the CPP event day and to ensure an advantage of reducing the annual electricity bill through the application of the preferential rate for other hours, the participants avoid using electrical equipment during the peak hours at the CPP event day and take an action of suppressing the electrical power consumption (see, for example, non-patent literature 1). More specifically, for example, a set temperature of an air conditioner is risen.
According to such CPP, adjustment of the use of electrical equipment at the side of participants is a manual operation. Accordingly, such an operation at the side of participants is bothersome every time a CPP event happens, and there is a concern that the electrical-power-consumption suppressing action remains uncertain.
Hence, a program so-called an Auto Demand Response (Auto-DR) is provided so far. According to the Auto-DR, a server that delivers a CPP event signal for notification of a CPP event day is provided at the side of utility company. Also, an equipment that receives the CPP event signal and a system that controls electrical equipment through a CPP event compatible control logic set beforehand in accordance with the CPP event signal are provided at the side of participants, thereby making operations automated from a CPP event delivery to an electrical equipment control (see, for example, non-patent literature 2).